Squash chatter

Several posts ago we indulged in tomato talk 

as the seedlings were becoming starts, then full fledged plants 

ready to go into the beds at the farm.

We kept the tomato talk going because it's hard 

not to get excited as the plants take and begin to grow.

And even now, as the tomatoes are truly flourishing, 

you'd think that is all we have growing at the farm, but of course that's not true. 

Summer squash can rival tomatoes when it comes to going crazy.

There are so many varieties and they are so prolific,
you can sometimes feel over-run by squash. 

But we are excited about all the possibilities our chefs 

will have when our squash plants mature.

girl & the fig summer fave:
sauteed squash, olive oil, chili flakes & feta cheese

We've planted Black Beauty, yellow summer, Romensco, 

sunburst, patty pan and zucchini squash this year at the farm.

our first squash blossom
a true Black Beauty

sunburst squash

patty pans and zucchini just starting
soon this will be lush

"Archaeological evidence suggests squash 

may have been first cultivated in Mesoamerica some 8,000 to 10,000 years ago.

In fact, squash, whether summer or winter, were considered an important part

of the "three sisters" planting arrangement, with corn and beans.

The English word "squash" derives from 'askutasquash' which means 

"a green thing eaten raw," from the Narragansett language."

Squash has been around a long time, so there a lots of opportunities

to get creative with ways to use it.

We had to applaud this zucchini-without-the-pasta-lasagna!

courtesy of "Not Eating Out in New York"

Besides what our chefs will come up, everyone has creative ideas for squash:
How about Pickled Patty Pans? 

And can you resist Burrata Stuffed Squash Blossoms with Olive Tapenade? 

Since they are often plentiful at Farmers' Markets, try these
 ideas for what to do with the squash blossoms.

By now, you likely agree, that actually, as with tomatoes,
we can't have too much squash!

And if you want to engage in more squash chatter, check this out: 

A new addition to the rich-full-of-information Smart Gardner blog, "Ask a Gardener" 

tackled questions about summer squash as their first subject. 

Check out the questions and the tips about growing squash.

What kinds of squash are you growing?
How do you like to use it?